Under the guidance of directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, Japan's Studio Ghibli animation company has gone from strength to strength, producing 20 animated features in the last 27 years, including the hugely successful 'Spirited Away', 'Ponyo', 'Howl's Moving Castle' and 'My Neighbour Totoro'.

But with the retirement of the two directors who formed the backbone of the company and following the Japanese release of 'When Marnie Was There' last month, Studio Ghibli has confirmed today that they will exit the feature film business effective immediately, with a break to consider their future.

This is a hugely sad day for anime and animations fans worldwide and I hope that the studio can find a way out to continue making films in the future.